Early isotopic evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas
Early isotopic evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas
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DOI：
10.1126/sciadv.aba3245
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发表时间：
2020-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
13.6
通讯作者：
Gutierrez, Said M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kennett, Douglas J.;Prufer, Keith M.;Gutierrez, Said M.
玉米是一种具有全球经济重要性的作物，但当它第一次成为美洲的主要谷物时，人们对它并不了解，也存在争议。在这里，我们报告了52具放射性碳定年的人类骨骼的直接同位素饮食证据，这些骨骼来自伯利兹玛雅山脉两个保存完好的岩石避难所，跨越了过去的10,000年。在距今4700日历年之前（大约公元前4700年）的个体没有明确的证据表明食用玉米。在4700至4000 cal B.P.之间的一些个体中出现了大量玉米消费（约占总膳食的30%）的证据。4000 cal B.P.之后的同位素证据表明，玉米成为一种持续使用的主粮，其饮食意义与该地区后来的玉米农学家相当（约占总膳食的70%）。这些数据提供了最早的明确证据，证明玉米是美洲的主要谷物。
Maize is a cultigen of global economic importance, but when it first became a staple grain in the Americas, was unknown and contested. Here, we report direct isotopic dietary evidence from 52 radiocarbon-dated human skeletons from two remarkably well-preserved rock-shelter contexts in the Maya Mountains of Belize spanning the past 10,000 years. Individuals dating before similar to 4700 calendar years before present (cal B.P.) show no clear evidence for the consumption of maize. Evidence for substantial maize consumption (similar to 30% of total diet) appears in some individuals between 4700 and 4000 cal B.P. Isotopic evidence after 4000 cal B.P. indicates that maize became a persistently used staple grain comparable in dietary significance to later maize agriculturalists in the region (>70% of total diet). These data provide the earliest definitive evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas.